Plugging device



Aug. 1941- w. v. BLEAKLEY 2,253,224

PLUGGING DEVICE Filed Oct. 28, 1940 2 SheetS Sheet 1 INVENTOR /7 ///9Zzm XjZea/r/g BY A ATTORNEY5 Patented Aug. 19, 1941 PLUGGING DEVICE William Yates mam. Tulsa, om, assignor to Zero Hour Bomb Company, Tulsa, Okla a corporation of Oklahoma ApplicationOctober 28, 1940, Serial No. 363,147

13 Claims.

This invention relates to plugging devices'for oil wells and more particularly to a device for supporting stemming material, such as sand,

rock, cement or the like at a desired point in the bore of the well to confine the force of an of suitable fabric, such as canvas, and is carried I by a series of bow members secured to a central rod in such manner that the bridge is biased toward an opened position but may be held in closed position by means of a weight, such as a time bomb, secured to the bridge during its descent into the well. While this apparatus has produced very satisfactory results in operation, it is open to the objection that the fabric is exposed and is subject to being snagged or caught on projections in the well during the lowering operation.

To overcome this objection, it has been proposed to provide a bridge having a tubular metal sheathing surrounding the fabric which forms the pocket for the stemming material and which may be removed after the bridge has been lowered to the desired point in the well and is to be expanded. The principal objection to this apparatus is the necessity of removing the metal sheathing and withdrawing it from the well after the bridge has been lowered.

In the present invention I provide a bridge in which a plurality of flat ribs are hinged to a collar which is 'slidably mounted on a central rod and in which the ribs are normally retained in open position by means of a spring connected to the collar and to a second point on the rod. A suitably shaped fabric member, which forms the bridge proper, is secured to the ends of the ribs and to a second collar fixedly mounted on the rod and the fabric member is preferably secured to the ribs at points intermediate their ends. The ribs of the present device are of such width that they form a sheathing or closure when the device is in closed position and is being lowered into the well and thereby protect the fabric bridge from snagging or tearing by projections in the wall of the well. The device is so constructed that a time bomb or other weight secured to the slidable collar retains it in closed position while being lowered into the well and it automatically opens when the time bomb or weight reaches a position at the bottom of the well and the spring is allowed to function to move the lower slidable collar on the rod.

An additional feature of the present invention isthe provision of means for retaining the bridge in closed position which is capable of being released after the bridge has been lowered into the well. While the weight of a time bomb is sufficient to retain the bridge'in closed position under normal conditions, when the bridge is being lowered into the well, I have found that an additional means for retaining the bridge in closed position is desirable. Such means will retain the bridges in closed position during shipmerit and handling before the time bomb is secured to the bridge and will also prevent the bridge from opening at a pointin the well where opening of the bridge is not desired if the time bomb should accidentally become displaced.

It will be apparent that the device possesses advantages over the constructions heretofore employed in that it provides a metal casing or closure when in closed position and at the same time does not require the removal of this closure member from the bore of the well when the de-- vice is to be expanded into operative position.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this show- Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the bridge in expanded position;

Fig. 2 is a detailed view of a securing member or ring;

Fig. 3 is a similar view or a reinforcing or connecting member;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the bridge in closed position; v

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the upper end of the bridge in closed position;

Fig. 6 is a view of the bridge in closed position in the course of being lowered into the well with an explosive shell or weight secured to its lower end; and

Fig, '1 is a similar view of the bridge in open position in the well after it has reached the desired position with the stemming or tamping material arranged in the pocket and closing the well bore.

The bridge structure consists of a central rod I having a nut 2 threadedly attached to its lower end. Intermediate its ends the rod is threaded for the reception of a nut 3 and a circular head or plate 4 is arranged over the nut 3. A disc 5 is arranged over the head 4. A sleeve 6 surof the bottom of the pocket 2|.

rounds the upper end of the rod I above the disc 5. The upper end of sleeve 8 carries a head I and the entire structure is retained assembled by means of a nut 8 arranged on the upper end of the rod. A collar member 9 is slidingly mounted on rod I adjacent its lower end. Downward movement of this collar member is limited by nut 2. A ball I is attached to head I. The lowering line Il may be secured thereto by means of'a hook I 2, which may be any of the well known forms of releasable torpedo hooks. A safety bail I3, such as the safety hook described in Bleecker Patent No. 2,017,581, is attached to the lower portion of the collar member 9 and provides means for suspending torpedoes or explosive shells S from the bridge. A coil spring I4, surrounding the rod I, has its upper end firmly attached to the lower face of a plate 20 and its lower end to the upper face of collar member 9. Spring I4 is normally in tension, so that when the bridge is suspended from the lowering line II and explosive shells are suspended from safety bail I3, the weight of the shells will overcome the resistance of spring I4 and draw collar member 9 downwardly on rod I until it comes to rest against nut 2.

A plurality of fiat ribs l5 are each hingedly attached at I6 to the upper face of collar member 9, the hinged connections roughly forming a circle on the upper face of collar member 9 adjacent the periphery thereof. Ribs |5 are preferably constructed of metal or other rigid material and are of such width that when drawn radially toward rod I to positions parallel to rod I, they provide a substantially continuous tubular closure about the rod as shown in Figs. 4 to 6. A link I1 is connected to each of the ribs at an intermediate point and the other end of the link is connected to a hinge plate 20 arranged between the nut 3 and the head 4. Thus, when collar 9 is pulled downwardly by the weight of the suspended shells S, the links draw the ribs I5 inwardly to the closed position (Figs. 4 to 6) and when the weight is removed, they force the ribs outwardly to their open position (Figs. 1 and 7). A fabric bag or pocket 2|, constructed of canvas, silk or any other suitable fabric, and open at its upper end, is inserted within the mouth of the bridge as formed by the upper ends of the enclosing ribs I5, thereby forming a lining pocket within the upper portion of the bridge structure. The bail III and the upper portion of the head extends upwardly through the center The pocket is firmly fastened to the head 4 by clamping the circular edges of the opening in the pocket bottom through which the head 4 extends, between head 4 and disc 5. The bottom of the pocket thus rests upon the links II. The upper edge of the fabric is secured to the ribs I5 adjacent their ends by means of plates 22 arranged on the inside of the fabric and having pointed ends 23 which extend through the fabric and through openings in the ribs and are then bent over against the ribs as shown in Fig. 5. The sides of the pocket 2| are attached to the intermediate portions of the ribs I5 and are arranged over the links I1. One method of attaching the links to the plate 20 and the pocket to the ribs is shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3. As shown plate 20 is provided with a raised substantially circular groove 25 and this groove is provided with a plurality of spaced cut-outs 26. The end of each link I1 extends into the cut-out portion 26 and is then offset as at 21 and arranged in the groove 25 as shown in Fig. 1. The opposite end of the link is provided with an offset 28 and an extension 29. The offset 28 is arranged in an ear 30 which is struck up from the body portion of the rib I5 and the extension 29 is then passed through an eyelet 3| in the fabric and bent over as indicated at 32 in Fig. 1 of the drawings and in dotted lines in Fig. 3 of the drawings to prevent displacement of the link from the eyelet. This arrangement prevents the fabric pocket from being billowed upwardly and retarding the lowering of the bridge in cases where may force the bridge to open prematurely. Thus,

when the bridge is lowered in a well and allowed to open, the ribs I5 will expand until the upper ends thereof come into contact with the well bore and simultaneously open the mouth of pocket 2| into a roughly circular opening, the edges of which are held closely adjacent the surface of the well bore by the upper ends of the ribs. Pocket 2| is generally cylindrical in form so that while the expanded ribs I5 form an inverted cone-shaped structure, the fabric of pocket 2| will protrude between the ribs and will hang substantially vertically from the upper ends of the ribs (Fig. 7). When the bridge is in the closed position, as in Fig. 6, the fabric of pocket 2| is folded by manual operation within the enclosure formed by ribs I5 thereby reducing the danger of catching or snagging the fabric on projections along the wall of the well bore as the device is being lowered into the well.

While the device heretofore described is ca pable of use without any additional means for retaining the bridge in closed position, I preferably employ a means for locking the bridge in closed position which may be used for handling the bridges in shipment and otherwise before the bomb is secured to the bail I3 and which also serves as an additional means for preventing premature opening of the bridge while it is being lowered into a well. As shown the upper end of each of the ribs I5 is provided with an offset portion 40 and these offset portions form a groove 4| for the reception of suitable fastening means when the bridge is in closed position shown in Figs. 4 to 6. To retain the bridge in closed position against the tension of spring I4 I provide a retaining ring 42 which is secured to one of the ribs as indicated at 43 and which is provided with an eye 44 in each end. The ring is preferably made of spring metal and is of suflicient length to encircle the upper ends of the ribs when in closed position. When the bridge is in closed position the grooved upper ends of the ribs abut against head I and ring 42 may then be brought around the ribs and a cotter pin 45 placed in the two eyes 44 to retain the ring in closed position. Cotter pin 45 is connected to line II as shown in Fig, 6 to permit its withdrawal.

The structure is employed in the following manner: The device is suspended by means of bail I0 from lowering line I I by attachment to hook I 2, and the torpedo or shells S are then suspended from safety bail I3. The weight of the shells S acts to overcome the resistance of coil spring I4 drawing collar member 9 downwardly against nut 2 and thereby causing the ribs I5 to be drawn inwardly to the position shown in Figs. 4 to 6, thus closing the bridge. The fabric of pocket 2| is tucked by hand inside the enclosure formed by rib I5, the latter now forming a sheathing structure which presents a substantially smooth tubular outer surface which is unlikely to be snagged or caught by any projections which may be encountered in the wellcasing or bore.

The bridge device together with the shells suspended therefrom, is then lowered into the well by means or lowering line H until the lower end of the lowermost shell touches the bottom of the well. In many cases a conventional shot anchor oi any suitable length or design may be suspended from the lowermost shell so that the explosive shells may be stopped at any desired point in the well above the bottom. When the shell string thus comes to rest in the well, coil spring I4 is relieved of its weight and immediately reacts to pull collar member 9 along rod l toward head I, the action causing the ribs to open outradially until their upper ends come into contact with the sides of the well. This action in turn opens the mouth of pocket II, the upper edge of which is thus held in close peripheral contact with the well bore. Tamping material T (Fig. 7), such as sand, gravel, or-the like,'is then introduced through the top of the well into the open mouth of pocket 2i and fills the pocket causing side portions thereoito bulge out between adjacent ribs against the well bore (Fig. 7). The greater the quantity or tamping material introduced, the more tightly will'the sides of pocket 21 be forced against the sides of the well, thereby strengthening the support provided by the bridge device for the over-burden of tamping material. When sufllcient tamping material has been introduced into the well to form a tight plug above the shot string, the shot may then be set off by means, usually of a time bomb which is included in the shot string below the bridge. The force of the explosion is thus effectively confined in the portion of the well below the bridge.

When the locking ring 42 is employed the bridge is not opened by the removal of the weight of the shell string from the bridge. As the bridge is released from the line B by means or the hook it the cotter pin 45 is withdrawn from the eyes it in the end of the ring allowing the ribs id to open and the device then functions as heretofore described.

The dimensions of the bridge device are, oi course, variable depending upon the size of the well in which the bridge is to be used. tue' oi the term or construction of the bridge in accordance f with this invention, the over-all length of the device, even for wells up to twelve or fourteen inch diameters, is relatively much shorter than other bridges heretofore used and thereby permits use of the bridge in cased'wells below thelend of the well casing where only L By virj relatively-short length of open holeremains below the casing. This means that the bridge can be opened at a minimum distance below the end of the casing and when the tamping material is introduced an effective protecting seal can be provided for the end of the casing while leaving a maximum amount of open hole below the easing to be acted upon by the exploding shot. For example, in a bridge having a full open diameter of about fourteen inches, designed for use in a twelve inch diameter or smaller well bore, the distance from the bottom 0! the pocket to the top thereof is ordinarily only about eight inches. Thus, where only a relatively short length of open hole is available for the shot, a condition irequently encountered in practice, it the bridge were set with the upper end oi ribs ll immedilapslble pocket.

ately below the lower end oi. the well casing, a protective seal of tamping material at least eight inches deep would be provided betweenthe lower end of the casing and the open hole exp sed to the shot explosion. In addition the tamping material would extend up into the casing as far as desired. and thus increase the measure oiprotection afforded the casing.

The bridge may, orcourse, be set at any point in the well bore below which it may be desired to confine the effects of the shot explosion.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 312,377, flied January 4, 1940.

I claim:

i. In a device of the character described, a central rod, a collar slidably mounted on the rod, a plurality of ribs hinged to the collar, and a collapsible pocket having its outer edge secured to the free ends 0! the, ribs and its inner edge connected to the rod at a point spaced from the collar.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein theuribs, when in folded position substantially parallel to the central rod, form a substantially continuous casing surrounding the col- 3. In a device 01' the character described, a central rod, a collar slidably mounted on the rod, a fixed member on the rod spaced from the collar, a plurality of ribs hinged to the collar, links connected to the fixed member, a collapsible pocket having its outer edge secured to the tree having its outer edge secured to the free ends of the ribs and its inner edge secured to the ilxed member, the other ends of the links being connected to the ribs at points intermediate the ends of the ribs, and a spring connected to the central rod and to the collar to normally urge the collar toward the fixed member to expand the ribs. 5. In a device of the character described, a central supporting member, a collar slidably mounted thereon, a plllrality of ribs hinged to the collar, and a collapsible pocket having its outer edge secured to the free ends of the ribs and its inner edg connected to the central supporting memher at a position spaced irorn the collar, the collapsible pocket being further secured to said ribs at points intermediate their ends. 6. In a device of the character described, a central supporting member, a collar slidably mounted thereon, a fixed headmounted on the supporting member, a plurality of ribs hinged to the collar,-

the ribs where the links are connected to the ribs;

'7. In an apparatus of the character described, a central supporting member, a collar slidably mounted thereon, a fixed head mounted on the su porting member, a plurality oi ribs hinged to the collar, links hinged to the head, a pocket having its outer edge secured to the free ends of the ribs and its inner edge secured to the head, the other end of the links being secured to intermediate portions of said ribs and to said pocket, and means for urging the collar toward th head. 8. In an apparatus of the character described, a central supporting member, a collar slidably mountedthereon, a fixed head mounted on the supporting member, a plurality of ribs hinged to the collar, links hinged to the head, a pocket having its outer edge secured to the free ends of the ribs and its inner edge secured to the head, the other end of the links being secured to intermediate portions or said ribs and to said pocket, and a spring connected to the collar and to the head to normally urge the collar toward the head.

9. In a device of the character described, a central rod, a collar mounted on the rod, a plurality of ribs hinged to the collar, a collapsible pocket having its outer edge secured to the free ends of the ribs and its inner end connected to the rod at a point spaced from the collar, the ribs when in folded position substantially parallel to the central rod forming a substantially continuous casing surrounding the collapsible pocket, and means for retaining the ribs in folded position.

10. In a device of the character described, a central supporting member, a collar slidably mounted thereon, a plurality of ribs hinged to the collar, a collapsible pocket having its outer edge secured to the free ends of the ribs and its inner edge connected to the central supporting member at a position spaced from the collar, the collapsible pocket being further secured to said ribs at points intermediate their ends, and means for retaining the ribs in closed position.

11. In a device of the character described, a central supporting member, a, collar slidably mounted thereon, a plurality of ribs hinged to the collar, a collapsible pocket having its outer edge secured to the free ends of the ribs and its inner edge connected to the central supporting member at a position spaced from the collar, the collapsible pocket being further secured to said ribs at points intermediate their ends, and a, ring secured to one end of one of the ribs and adapted ot be secured around the ends of the ribs to retain them in closed position.

12. In a device of the character described, a central supporting member, a collar slidably mounted thereon, a plurality of ribs hinged to the collar, a collapsible pocket having its outer edge secured to the free ends of the ribs and its inner edge connected to the central supporting member at a position spaced from the collar, the collapsible pocket being further secured to said ribs at points intermediate their ends, a, band secured to the free end of one of the ribs, and means for securing the two ends of the band around the ends of the ribs to retain them in closed position.

13. In a device of the character described, a central rod, a pair of members mounted on the rod and spaced from each other, one of the members being movable on the rod, a plurality of ribs hinged to one of the members, links connected to the second member, a collapsible pocket having its outer edge secured to the free ends of the ribs and its inner edge secured to the second member, the other ends of the links being connected to the ribs at points intermediate the ends of the ribs, and means normally urging the movable member toward the second member to expand the ribs and retain the pocket in opened position.

WILLIAM YATES BLEAKLEY. 

